Tori Parrow's story serves as a heartbreaking reminder of the devastating consequences of domestic violence. On Halloween in 2018, what should have been a joyous evening turned into a nightmare as Tori, while retrieving her son's Halloween costume, fell victim to her estranged husband, Melvin Parrow. Despite years of abuse and her attempts to escape, Tori's efforts were tragically insufficient to protect herself and her son. The system that promised her safety failed on that fateful day, leading to a tragic loss that would haunt her family forever. Tori's son, now facing the aftermath of this horror, is left navigating a world where the dangers of silence and inaction in the face of abuse are painfully evident.
Takeaways:
This episode discusses the tragic story of Tori Parro, a victim of domestic violence.
Tori's husband, Melvin, had a history of abuse that escalated before her murder.
Despite seeking help and obtaining a restraining order, Tori was ultimately unprotected.
The podcast highlights the failures of the legal system in domestic violence cases.
Tori's son experienced the horror of waiting for his mother who would never return.
A wrongful death suit was filed against the companies that failed to monitor Melvin properly.
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Transcripts
Kimberly Holmes:
This podcast contains graphic content including descriptions of violence, death and other distressing topics. Listener discretion is strongly advised. Halloween is supposed to be a fun filled evening with candy, costumes and trick or treating.
ld see coming on Halloween in:
She will only be a moment. Her son watches as she disappears inside, not knowing this would be the last time he would see his mom alive.
The system promised protection, but on this day it failed in the most devastating way. I'm your host Kimberly Holmes and you're listening to Owl in Red, a true crime podcast where we explore the darkest corners of humanity.
Each week we will bring you the stories of lives cut short by unimaginable acts of violence, stories that demand to be heard. This week we walk through the story of Torie Parrow, a mother, a wife, a sister, a friend and what led up to her tragic end.
Want to connect with like minded true crime fans?
Join our free Discord community by signing up with your email at the link provided in the show notes Torie Parrow's story didn't begin with a single moment of terror. It was years in the making, shaped by a pattern of control, violence and fear. She thought she had escaped. She thought she was safe.
And on that Halloween Day in:
From the start, her husband, Melvin Parrow, was abusive. The night before their wedding. The abuse would begin and continue to escalate over the years.
She tried to keep her son sheltered from the violence, but her son walked in on Melvin sitting on top of her, choking her. At that point, he told his mother he was scared and did not want to stay there anymore.
Her sister Caralee begged her to leave, but Torie said she didn't have anywhere else to go. She thought she was safe.
Just a week before the murder, Melvin punched Torie in the back of the head and strangled her to the point of almost losing consciousness. She then called the police, but by the time they arrived, Melvin had already fled the scene.
Torie was reluctant to press charges as she was afraid it would just make the abuse much, much worse. So the officers left. However they had to return. Just 30 minutes later, Melvin had returned to continue the assault.
According to Missouri law, if they return to the same address within the 12 hour period on a domestic violence call, they must make an arrest. Melvin was then put into handcuffs and led away, but not before he told his wife, I'll be out. I'll get right out.
This incident led to a felony second and third degree domestic assault charge. Melvin was already on probation for failure to pay child support, but was still able to be released after posting a $50,000 bond.
This was on October 29th.
As a condition of his release, he was placed on house arrest and a 247 GPS monitoring by ankle monitor and not to have contact with Torie or her family. Torie was able to get a restraining order prior to Melvin's release, but during the next two day period, that wouldn't matter.
Torie had received more than 200 texts and calls from Melbourne violating his bond conditions and the restraining order. One of the voicemails she received from him was very disturbing. It said, you just make sure you tell everybody you love them.
,:
He then got out of the car and tried to open the front door, but it was locked. He then tried to open the back door, but it was locked as well. Confused and afraid, he called out for his mother, but only silence responded.
Springfield, Missouri Police department would arrive to Elm Street Home just a few minutes later. When they arrived, they found the boy sitting with his dogs, waiting on his mom.
He had no idea that just beyond the slot doors, his mother had been murdered. Inside the house, the horror had already unfolded.
Melvin Parrow, sometime earlier in the day, cut off his ankle monitor and entered the home he was court ordered to stay away from.
When Torie entered to get her son's Halloween costume, he ambushed her, shooting her twice, once in the face, once in the leg, before turning the gun on himself. In the days that followed, the true extent of the tragedy became clear. Torie had been trying to escape her abuser for years.
her on that Halloween Day in:
Just three years later, Torie's son would file a wrongful death suit through his biological father against the bail bond company and the GPS monitoring company for not acting when they were informed of Melvin's numerous violations.
The suit alleged Melvin Parrow had prior felony convictions for unlawful use of a weapon, first degree burglary, resisting arrest and possession of a controlled substance, and that Melvin was on probation at the time of the assault. On October 24, these companies failed to notify police of the threats in the ankle monitor that had been tampered with.
In March of:
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, reach out for help. Sometimes the greatest danger lies in staying silent. Thank you so much for listening to this episode of Owl in Red.
If you're enjoying this episode, please consider leaving me a review over at Pawchaser. Link will be in the show notes.
